Aside from their songs that are naughty and nonsense, the Warays have also their own share of songs that speak about life and about love. They have a profound effect on my being as a Waray, for they bring poignant memories of my hometown and of my childhood.
In the 1980's while my high school contemporaries were singing Madonna's Material Girl and Papa Don't Preach, I was busy learning Waray songs from Mana Saning and from Mana Jenny, leaders of San Roque Parish Church Choir. Nanay Remy, my mother, likewise taught me songs from her native town of Borongan, Eastern Samar. Aside from these three women, I also learned some songs from the older women of Kalye San Francisco in San Roque, Northern Samar. I sat with them while they drank tuba (coconut wine) and sang Waray songs.
My repertoire of songs grew as I met friends from Laoang and from Catubig. We sang a lot and we always made it a point to sing songs in Waray. Probably we were thinking that it was our only way of connecting with our roots -- we had to leave our families and our hometowns to pursue college education in the city. In school, I was a member of a performing arts group. We did community immersions and we gathered and performed songs indigenous to the islands of Samar and Leyte.
Before I become totally engulfed by forgetfulness, let me share the lyrics of these songs so that my fellow Warays can make use of them or can sing them. Like the women of San Roque and the other Waray speakers who unselfishly shared these songs to me, I am likewise sharing them to you now. Only virtually, though. To my fellow Warays searching for or googling -- yes, google is also a verb, :-) -- "lyrics of Waray songs", this post is for you. Except for Balud, the songs below cannot be found on the World Wide Web as of this writing.
To those who don't speak Waray, I have not prepared any English translation for these texts. Since I'm a blogger and not a poet, I'll leave the job to them: the Waray poets.
AN KINABUHI SAN TAWO
An kinabuhi san tawo
Sugad sin usa nga binhi
Kon upayon gud pagmangno
Matudok ini, madamo
Ug niyan ini dumako
Sugad san aton tanom
Kay minangnoan san gugma
Gugma para sa aton.
Kinabuhi usa la
Sugad sin usa ka binhi
Sa gugma kita ginpili
Kay kinabuhi nga langitnon
Bulawan an panahon
Aton gud talinguhaon
An pag-ukoy nga surundon
Aton gud talinguhaon
An pag-ukoy nga surundon.
BALUD
Mga balud nagpapasibo ha kadagatan
Kakuri gud madakpan inin balud
Ha baras napulilid kon diri hira nag-iisog
Hay, Intoy kamakuri mo pagdad-on
Baga-baga ka gud la hinin balud
Kon nasisina nalakat ka
Mag-uusahan ako ha tabi.
Kay ano nga ginbayaan mo ako
Waray na balud inin lawud ko
Hain na an mga haplas mo
Nailiw na an baras ngan bato.
Bisan la danay di nagkakaasya
Sugad han langit ug tuna
Kon an gugma nga marig-on ug masarig
Di mapapara hinin balud.
Kay ano nga ginbayaan mo ako
Waray na balud inin lawud ko
Hain na an mga haplas mo
Nailiw na an baras ngan bato.
Balik na kamahidlaw na ha imo
Waray na balud inin lawud
Hain na an mga haplas mo
Nailiw na an kasing-kasing ko.
BUTA
An kadam-an san nagmamata
Hingyap pa an pagkaturog
Kay mas matam-is an pagwaydong
Sa luyo san mga limbong
An saksi san kamatuoran
Napiyong la san kasugaran
Nag-aantos la nga gintatamakan
An katungod san kadam-an.
San iba buta kita sa luha
Kay waray pulos an lamrag
San aton mga mata
Kon sa kasing-kasing magpabilin kita nga buta.
Sa ngaran san at kabugtoan
Nano an imo pag-ugop
Kan kanay ka ba mahisakop
An saksi san kamatuoran
Napiyong la san kasugaran
Nag-aantos la nga gintatamakan
An katungod san katawhan.
DUNGGA AN HUNI SAN KALAW
Dungga an huni san kalaw
Kon tikatunod na an adlaw
Tugob sin kasakit ug kabutlaw
Nagtitikadulom, nagtitikamingaw.
Kundi adto na an kabitun-an
Namimiruk-pirok didto sa hitas-an
Sidlit na liwat matahum nga bulan
An lamrag murayaw, may kahimayaan.
DUNGGA AN HUNI SAN KALAW
Dungga an huni san kalaw
Kon tikatunod na an adlaw
Tugob sin kasakit ug kabutlaw
Nagtitikadulom, nagtitikamingaw.
Kundi adto na an kabitun-an
Namimiruk-pirok didto sa hitas-an
Sidlit na liwat matahum nga bulan
An lamrag murayaw, may kahimayaan.
